National security official warns Americans to leave Ukraine ASAP: 'The risk is now high enough'

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has issued a direct message to the Americans still in Ukraine: get out while you can.
"Any American in Ukraine should leave as soon as possible and in any event in the next 24-48 hours," Sullivan said at Friday's press briefing.
"We obviously cannot predict the future. We don't know exactly what is going to happen, but the risk is now high enough, the threat is now immediate enough that this is what prudence demands."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sullivan continued by warning those who do decide to stay that they are "assuming risk with no guarantee that there will be any other oppportunity to leave."
On Thursday, President Biden delivered a similar message during an interview with Lester Holt of NBC News.
"American citizens should leave, should leave now," Biden said, per The Guardian. "We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. This is a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly."
Sullivan also cautioned that the Russian invasion could, in fact, begin during the Beijing Games, "despite a lot of speculation that would only happen after the Olympics," he said, per ABC News. That in mind, the U.S. still cannot say with 100 percent certainty whether Moscow has made up its mind on that front.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodle
Cartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorship
Talking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
What will bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table?
Today’s Big Question With diplomatic efforts stalling, the US and EU turn again to sanctions as Russian drone strikes on Poland risk dramatically escalating conflict
-
The mission to demine Ukraine
The Explainer An estimated quarter of the nation – an area the size of England – is contaminated with landmines and unexploded shells from the war
-
Ottawa Treaty: why are Russia's neighbours leaving anti-landmine agreement?
Today's Big Question Ukraine to follow Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as Nato looks to build a new ‘Iron Curtain' of millions of landmines
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
How long can Nato keep Donald Trump happy?
Today's Big Question Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap
-
How far would Russia go for Iran?
Today's Big Question US air strikes represent an 'embarrassment, provocation and opportunity' all rolled into one for Vladimir Putin
-
Are the UK and Russia already at war?
Today's Big Question Moscow has long been on a 'menacing' war footing with London, says leading UK defence adviser
-
Is UK's new defence plan transformational or too little, too late?
Today's Big Question Labour's 10-year strategy 'an exercise in tightly bounded ambition' already 'overshadowed by a row over money'